Fiji, China to defend Paris Agreement on Climate Change at COP23
Prime Minister and incoming COP president Voreqe Bainimarama held separate meetings with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and President Xi Jinping in Beijing to build support for Fiji’s presidential agenda at COP 23. It was on the defence and implementation of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
The Prime Minister was earlier in China to attend the Belt and Road Forum for International Co-operation, a two-day infrastructure summit hosted by the Chinese government. Mr Bainimarama was the only Pacific leader at the forum, which was attended by representatives from more than 100 countries and organisations.
President Xi publically committed to protect the global governance achievements contained within the Paris Agreement to curb the effects of climate change. During the meeting, Mr Bainimarama thanked President Xi for his strong defence of the multilateral consensus achieved in Paris at COP21, given that the Trump administration has yet to make a decision on whether the United States will remain in the Paris Agreement.
At both meetings, Mr Bainimarama sought Chinese assistance for Fiji’s COP23 presidency and stressed the urgency of maintaining the momentum for making decisive cuts in global carbon emissions to reduce the impacts of climate change.
Prior to the bilateral meetings, Prime Minister Bainimarama signed several Memorandums of Understanding between Fiji and China to deepen economic co-operation between the two countries.
After departing from Beijing, the Prime Minister was to be in Bonn, Germany to address a plenary session on the final day of the Bonn Climate Change Conference and attend a Negotiation Management Workshop organisaed by the German Government.
He will then travel to Berlin, Germany to attend the Petersburg Climate Dialogue.